Energy to Evolve

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Unless you’re an expert snooping around the building or have spoken to an somebody that works there, it may not be readily apparent that the Durango branch of the Bank of Colorado has made a serious investment into increasing the energy efficiency of their downtown main street property, and have plans to do the same with their new drive-thru location on East 2nd Avenue.

Having an energy audit performed by 4CORE in the fall of 2013, the bank’s downtown property was found to have many opportunities to increase energy efficiency performance. The heating boiler units were short cycling, running at only 50% efficiency, and that the HVAC roof units were running at the end of their life cycle and were doing so after sustaining serious damage from prolonged exposure to the elements. This caused uneven heating and cooling throughout the building. The audit also brought to light (pun intended) that the majority of the building’s lighting came from fluorescent fixtures, that could be replaced to substantially increase efficiency. An infrared space heater in the boiler room had burned through the insulated covering on a pipe to the main boiler, posing a serious fire hazard.

Shortly after the presentation of the audit report, the bank quickly took action to make up where it had fallen short, following the auditor’s recommendations. $500,000 was shelled out to completely replace the HVAC roof units with newer, more efficient units purchased from a Durango based appliance supplier.

After La Plata Electric Association rebates the bank spent a little over $22,000 to upgrade their lighting, prioritizing installation in the newer editions to the building and the parking structure. This investment, however, does not account for the costs of upgrading the lighting ballasts to more efficient models.

This upgrade has already had tangible results, cutting the total annual cost for electricity by approximately $13,000. Their estimated payback period is just 3.79 years, as the LED lights will reduce the bank’s kilowatt consumption by a massive 57%. According to branch manager Greg Behn, the lighting upgrades will not stop there; within the next 90 days all of the bank’s exterior lighting will also be LED. As for the bank’s new drive through and City Market locations, all of the lighting is planned to be upgraded to LED, particularly those lights that will be on all day and night. To complement this, the bank was also able to overcome a common wall agreement with it’s neighbor to have windows and solar tubes installed, increasing the amount of natural light in parts of the building that originally received very little to none, reducing the need to have lights on in those areas.

Although it was only recommended to recalibrate the boilers to increase their efficiency, the bank went ahead and invested $96,000 into upgrading to boiler units that are the most efficient for a building the size of the bank. When asked why the bank invested in upgrades so quickly, Behn replied, “We could have limped along and fixed a little bit here and there over time, but when you look at the capitalized costs versus your energy savings, you’re better off trying to do the best you can”.

In short, it could have cost the bank a lot more to make upgrades slowly. He further emphasized the fact that the current quality of the energy conserving technology made now the best time to act. According to Behn, although there is currently no plan for the installation of solar panels, such a course of action has been discussed.

In addition to investing in upgrades, the bank has also put together a five member ‘Green Team’, lead by bank employee Ian Simmons, who volunteered to take charge of the bank’s internal efforts to promote energy conservation. The team produced an office flier listing the ways employees can conserve resources in and out of the office. Such methods include, but not limited to, turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, turning off unused electronics (especially computer monitors), car pooling to work, being mindful of putting recyclable materials in the recycling bin, printing documents double sided, and turning off the water to scrub dirty hands. The Green Team is also putting a plan together for a formal recycling center in an accessible location in the building.

The total cost of the bank’s investment in Resource Smart upgrades came out to $1.39 million. The amount of resources that will be conserved is immense! Bank of Colorado has completed three recommendations from the 'Sustainability' and Energy Efficiency areas of their Resource Smart Business Action Plan and are well on their way to the "Going Beyond" certification level.

About the Author

A Durango local, John 'Jack' Dea is the newest edition to 4CORE staff as a Program Coordinator. He recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelors in Political Science, specializing in Environmental Policy and Political Economy. After a term at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, PA, John decided that his true passion lay in environmental sciences, conservancy, and sustainable residential and business practices. John's professional background includes working in sales for Green Mountain Energy Company, a national wind power supplier, before finally relocating back to Durango. John is currently preparing to apply to Graduate School in pursuit of a Master's in an environmental science related degree.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

This is a shout out to all the sponsors that keep 4CORE's Energy Information Hub spinning. 4CORE provides information to over 35,000 information requests annually.

We conduct presentations that draw hundreds of participants, and we are grateful to the following entities that help us spread energy information!

Sponsors of the Newsletter for six months or more:

La Plata Electric Association provides its members safe, reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost while being environmentally responsible.

SilverPick Contracting is a certified ENERGY STAR builder. They offer all of the benefits that go with this certification, which includes a 100% commitment to building only ENERGY STAR certified homes. SilverPick's high professional standards, cutting-edge innovation, attention to detail, and superior customer service have earned them an outstanding reputation in the building industry. From the eye of a casual observer, SilverPick's products may seem similar to the house next door, but, if you explore the entire project from the ground up, there are many differences. If you are thinking about a custom home, or remodel, don’t hesitate to contact them today!

The Home Builders Association of Southwest Colorado (HBASC) is a non-profit professional association of 100 member companies, all local businesses, whose diverse services include building homes, remodeling, architecture and design, real estate sales, banking and mortgage refinancing, insurance, subcontracting and material suppliers. They are affiliated with the Colorado Association of Home Builders which has more than 3,200 member companies and the National Association of Home Builders which has 216,000 member companies. All three organizations have extensive social, political and educational programs. Members employ many of the people working in our community, several thousand here locally in La Plata County. These employees provide a significant contribution to the local community.

Southwest Solar Transformation Initiative (now expanded to the American Solar Transformation Initiative) represents a regional team of public and private ASTI partners committed to advancing solar power adoption across participating municipalities within the Southwest region. ASTI is targeting communities in the Southwest because the solar resource is abundant, but its enormous potential has been largely untapped. The focus of this program is to drive solar market maturity via significant improvements in five key areas: Permitting, Planning and Zoning, Interconnection, Net Metering and Financing.

Mantell-Hecathorn Builders, Inc. has been building and remodeling custom homes as a family-run company for 40 continuous years. They have developed a distinguished reputation for excellence, craftsmanship and service. Greg and Hunter are the first to earn their Master Certified Green Professionals credential in the state of Colorado. Mantell-Hecathorn Builders is also the only SW Colorado builder listed on the EPA website as 100% committed to building ENERGY STAR homes. Each home goes through rigorous third-party testing certification under one or more of the following programs: ENERGY STAR DOE Zero Energy ReadyNAHB GreenEPA Indoor AirPlus. Mantell-Hecathorn Builders’ work ethic, experience, commitment to their clients and leadership in energy-efficient building have made them one of the most trusted builders in Durango. They initiated the Sustainable Building Education Program adopted by 4CORE and have been proud supporters of 4CORE ever since.

Alpine Bank is a $2.4 billion dollar, employee-owned organization chartered in 1973 with headquarters in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. With 37 banking offices throughout Colorado, Alpine Bank employs over 500 local people and serves more than 130,000 customers with retail, business, trust, asset management, mortgage, and electronic banking services. Alpine Bank has received local and national recognition for its creative philanthropic programs in the communities they serve. The Bank was 2001 Colorado Company of the Year as named by Colorado Biz Magazine and the University of Denver Daniels College of Business, as well as a six-time winner of the Best Companies for Working Families Award from Colorado Parents Magazine. The Bank’s community efforts have been highlighted by ABC World News Tonight, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the American Bankers Association. For more information, visit www.alpinebank.com

Since 2003 Proven Technologies has provided the best products available for safe, sustainable, and energy efficient buildings. Our hands-on knowledge of ICFs and Concrete Homes, along with superior service, has made Proven Technologies successful. We have 45 years of experience in the construction business. Call Proven Technologies LLC to explore what steps you might now take, based on the stage of decision making you have reached.
Call 877-626-5426 for more information.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

On the 25th of October I had the pleasure of participating in a solar barn raising in North Dalton, about 20 minutes North of Durango proper, the exact location being the lovely home of Norton and Debbie Hindley. Despite my enthusiasm for renewable energy, I had never actually seen solar panels being installed on a building before, nor really given any serious thought to actually doing it myself.

I certainly had some butterflies to accompany my excitement about the experience. I didn't want to be the tyro getting in the way of the pros, but luckily the experienced part of the crew, which was all but myself and one other person, were incredibly accommodating toward my complete lack of knowledge. Luckily, it doesn't take too long to catch on to some of the basics of installation.

My solar installation education began with the 'slap in the face' realization that solar barn raising does not have anything to do with the construction of a barn. Looking back at it I feel rather silly, having worked for a company that dealt in the sale of wind and solar energy supply to homes, but I showed up thinking, “Where’s the stuff for the barn?” I was unfamiliar with the term “solar barn raising”, which led me to assume we were putting together a stand alone barn or shed like structure that the solar array would be placed upon.

Turns out, I wasn't too far off, as a solar barn raising can mean both the construction of a stand alone array, which could be an actual barn if you so desire, or the installation of photo voltaic panels on the southern facing portion of the roof of a home. Really it was one of those instances where my insecurity of not knowing anything about what I was doing or anybody I was working with got in the way of me looking it up on Google.

The day before, solar panel installer Jay Hecker and company had started some of the initial installation steps for the panels by drilling holes into the trusses. We began by installing metal flashing between the layers of shingles, followed by flanges into the flashing, which would later hold the beam, or racking, that panels would be tightened to. It doesn't sound like a lot when put into words, but make no mistake, installing solar panels is time consuming, and if it’s a warm fall day, roofs can become very hot, especially if they are covered with black tar shingles. The day's work was extended well past 4 PM for some of the crew.

Since I’m no expert, I can’t quite say that any single material is the most important in solar panel installation, but it turns out that having the right grade of aluminum nuts for bolting down the panels is extremely critical. Because of their relative lightweight and large surface area and general exposure to the elements, if a gust of wind is at the right speed, it can tear a solar panel off of a roof if it is not held down properly. Because the grade of aluminum nuts we were using was inferior, they kept cracking when we were tightening them down with a torque wrench, which didn't bode well for the possibility of high winds, which are not uncommon in the San Juan Mountains. Barn raising coordinator John Lyle had to drive back into town to purchase nuts that are most commonly used on toilets, which are currently holding up quite nicely.

Because of La Plata Electric Associations (LPEA) guidelines, Norton and Debbie could only have fifteen solar panels installed that day, even though they intended to install quite a few more. However, they were able to successfully petition LPEA and now their home is primarily powered by solar.

The best thing I took away from my day in North Dalton, aside from better knowledge of solar panels and their installation, was the fact that solar barn raising help increases the community visibility and strengthening and building comradery among volunteers, and significantly reducing the costs for the homeowner. Solar panel prices are still decreasing, but by cutting out the costs of labor, the return on investment is larger and the payback time is much shorter. It also serves as an excellent community building exercise, where individuals can get together and have a positive impact on their surroundings.

Other than that, I took home probably one of the gnarliest sunburns I have ever had in my life from the combination of eight hours of sun and hot roof. Join the next solar barn raising effort, but don't forget to wear sunscreen.

About the Author

A Durango local, John 'Jack' Dea is a 4CORE intern who recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelors in Political Science, specializing in Environmental Policy and Political Economy. After a term at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, PA, John decided that his true passion lay in environmental sciences, conservancy, and sustainable residential and business practices. John's professional background includes working in sales for Green Mountain Energy Company, a national wind power supplier, before finally relocating back to Durango. John is currently preparing to apply to Graduate School in pursuit of a Master's in an environmental science related degree.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

There is some good news for a previous bank building on 11th Street in Durango. It is being renovated to the tune of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED Certification.

La Plata County purchased the 12,658 square foot building, formerly owned by Vectra Bank, to accommodate the offices of the La Plata County Board of County Commissioners, the County Assessor, County Administration and Finance. The building will be called the La Plata County Administration Building.

Mark McKibben, General Services Director

The $3.9 million project is being funded in part by a $1.5 million Energy Impact Assistance Grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). Working with LEED Accredited Professional Michelle Reott of Earthly Ideas, La Plata County is striving for LEED Gold certification for the project.

Highlights of the project include:

Adding significant roof insulation to keep heat in during cold months and a white roof, membrane to reflect the sun in warm months,

A much needed county training room with wireless, carts and technology upgrades,

Green power credits.

The finished building, with a total of 16,147 square feet with additions, is slated to be open and occupied in July of 2015. Compared to a 'code-compliant building', the remodeled La Plata County Administration Building will realize approximately 20% annual electricity and gas cost savings, saving taxpayers money for years to come. It is clear from this project, along with other LEED and ENERGY STAR buildings in the area, that Southwest Colorado is a leader in energy reduction and sustainable building initiatives.

About the Author

Teresa Shishim is a Colorado native who is dedicated to improving where we live through collaboration. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science at Western Washington University and has significant experience managing and coordinating projects and programs, including marketing campaigns, volunteer programs, and events. She gained this experience through a variety of positions, including serving as the Director of a non-profit river restoration group and as Marketing Manager for a start-up software company. Teresa also owns the graphic design company Yoka Design.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

As a Millennial I feel somewhat ashamed to admit, I know nothing about writing code and practically nothing about website design. I know many Milliennials who not only know how to write code and build their own websites, but they practically taught themselves these skills. Not to say that people from other generations don’t have these skills, but it seems more common place in the Millennial generation. After all it’s impossible for most Milliennials to remember a time when home computers didn’t exist, let alone life without the internet, and as someone from this tech savvy generation I find my knowledge and skills of web design and code writing to be poor at best.

Despite my lack of knowledge of code writing and web design, I decided to undertake updating our 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage. Initially, I was thinking I would make some suggestions and then have Teresa, our website manager, make the changes for me. Teresa had other ideas however, and she gave me the necessary permissions and short tutorials necessary to make the changes myself. I started off just making minor edits regarding the details of the Refuel Colorado program and inserting new information on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) that I thought might be helpful for fleets and the public at large. Soon afterwards, I found myself wanting the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage to do more.

I started off by embedding the Clean Cities YouTube Channel directly into the page so viewers can watch these videos without having to leave the 4CORE site. I then moved on to create an online sign up form for fleets to complete if they’re interested in a FREE fleet analysis for AFVs. While I didn’t embed this form into the website, I thought a clickable button would be a nice way for interested fleets to sign up for a FREE analysis (turns out having Teresa write the code and create the button for me was easier than her teaching me how to write the code and create the button).

I did manage to create and embed a “Statement of Interest” form to help demonstrate what the demand for alternative fuels may be like if the necessary fueling infrastructure were available in our area. Unfortunately, the form was too small and you couldn’t see the entire thing at once. Upon looking at the code I made a guess as to what numbers, symbols, and the like, were related to the size of the form. My guess was right and I made many changes to the code (actually I changed one number multiple times) until the form was the size I wanted.

Finally, I created and embedded a calculator for determining potential tax credits for the purchase of an electric vehicle.Did you know if you buy a Tesla in Colorado, you could be eligible for up to $13,500 in state and federal tax credits? With the 4CORE Calculator for Determining Tax Credits for Qualified Plug-In Electric Vehicles (I know the title isn’t very catchy) anyone can enter information specific to their electric vehicle purchase (cost, battery capacity, and incentives) and it will calculate the estimated state and federal tax credits they could receive. There is even more to the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage and I highly recommend taking a look at it!

Take time to browse the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage; play with the tax credit calculator, watch some Clean Cities YouTube videos, explore the various resources on AFVs, and register to attend the 4CORE/Colorado Energy Office (CEO) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicle Event.

Sarah is the Program Specialist at 4CORE who runs the Alternative Fuels Program. She is a Colorado native who fell in love with the Durango area while earning her Bachelor’s in Anthropology at Fort Lewis College. After graduation in 2010 she earned a Master’s in Anthropology and Certificate in Sustainable Urban Infrastructure from the University of Colorado Denver. Sarah moved back to Durango in 2012 in hopes of starting a career in the field of sustainable development. After a grueling 11 month AmeriCorps service term installing weatherization upgrades to low income housing in Southwest Colorado, Sarah is excited to be working with 4CORE on improving the sustainability and resiliency of our local communities.

'Q' is for Quality
Once he has completed all the efficiency upgrades that were prescribed in the HomeRx report, Finn plans to get a quality inspection from 4CORE to ensure the air leaks are plugged and his new appliances are working properly. Setting up the blower door for a second time after he has made the changes will let Finn rest assured that his home is sealed tight and the energy he needs to heat and cool will decrease.

Options for a Clean Commute

Will has recently become a big fan of the "Way to Go Club" in Durango. The little gifts every so often help keep him commuting by bike and connect him with others who are doing the same.

Additionally, Sandra commutes quite a way and now that they subscribe to solar power, they are looking into an electric car to commute responsibly. The Tesla models are the only electric cars that offer a long enough range for her commute. However, the financial investment is a barrier at this point. Will and Sandra are biding their time, as Tesla has announced a new Model 3 that will arrive in 2017, offering an affordable price with the range Sandra needs to get all the way to work. They are using this time to save up for another purchase from a solar garden to power this electric car.

Saving Water Outside

Most water at home is used on lawns and gardens in the summer. Will and Sandra will begin xeriscaping their front yard to reduce water use this coming spring. This will save water resources, as well as on water bills, which are likely to increase by next summer.

How About You?

Now that you've heard about Will, Sandra and Jasper, what is YOUR story? 4CORE would love to hear about your efforts in the comment section below!About the Family

Will Finn is an internal medicine physician and his wife Sandra Beirne is a pediatrician. They have a four-year-old son Jasper. Previous to moving to Durango, Dr. Finn spent four years practicing broad-spectrum Internal Medicine on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock. He and his wife enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and skiing. He believes that if everyone could make their home more energy efficient, we would make our community stronger and our world more liveable.

Monday, October 13, 2014

It is National Energy Awareness Month and we're celebrating by continuing our story about a family who is reducing their energy use.

In Part One of this story, we found out about the energy Will Finn and Sandra Beirne are saving at their home through an energy assessment and upgrades. Just around the time of this HomeRx Assessment, Solarize La Plata was accepting participants. Finn and Beirne signed up to take part.

As part of the process, Shaw Solar came to their home and did a site assessment. The outcome was not what they'd hoped for.

Shaw solar's utility bill analysis surmised that they would need a 6 kilowatt (kW) system to power their family's needs. The roof is marginal because they are shaded by a hillside and many trees. The house is oriented on north-south axis with the roof facing east and west. Because of these issues, Shaw recommended a pole
mount system, which would have shaded their family garden and created what some might consider an eyesore in their neighborhood.

Though this was a setback for the family, sunnier news came quickly in the form of a Community Solar Garden.

Because the Durango array will be located on the Boys and Girls Club of La Plata County building, Finn opted for this closer array so that his son could see where their power was being produced. Since the array will be visible from Main Avenue and it is located on a non-profit that works with kids, there is a good chance that his son and other kids will be learning about the benefits of solar in their community- which were positives for Sandra and Will.

Using a 5% increase in electricity costs, Shaw estimated their payback to be approximately twelve years. Finn's family feels good knowing that electric prices will likely be rising faster than that (potentially producing a faster payback) and the environmental choice to take part in this Community Solar Garden was clear for them. They are now signed up to subscribe for 6 kW of power from this garden and feel much relieved that this was an option since their own roof mounted array was not.

So they've got a safe and efficient home. They are on their way to solar power. What more can they do and what is next?

Find out the surprising answer in the third and final part of this series by subscribing to the 4CORE newsletter.

About the Family

Will Finn is an internal medicine physician and his wife Sandra Beirne is a pediatrician. They have a four-year-old son Jasper. Previous to moving to Durango, Dr. Finn spent four years practicing broad-spectrum Internal Medicine on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock. He and his wife enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and skiing. He believes that if everyone could make their home more energy efficient, we would make our community stronger and our world more liveable.

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About 4CORE

The Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency is a non-profit serving Southwest Colorado as the leading resource for the effective and efficient use of energy to promote and sustain vibrant local communities.